IN CHARGE NOW

Porsche hasn’t betrayed its heritage of gorgeous, fossil-fuel-burning dream cars, but the latest electrifying masterpiece to come from its brand-new €700 million Stuttgart-based production facility has begun a new chapter

- Dieter Losskarn

IS THE NEW PORSCHE CRYING, DUE TO THE LOSS OF ITS FAMOUS FUEL-BURNING POWER PLANT? The black stripes next to its headlights seem to resemble tear streaks. Perusing photographs of the new Taycan over the last couple of months, in which the car was white or silver, I couldn’t get used to its look; there was something wrong with its face. I saw the blue Taycan Turbo S in the flesh for the first time at the Porsche Centre in Cape Town. Those lines appeared to blend into its dark-colored body almost invisibly. At that moment, Porsche’s familiar face returned, albeit a new version.

When it comes to cars, I’m a bit of a caveman. I like the warmth and crackle of a fire. I prefer to move around in the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. That’s why I followed the development of the electrified Porsche with keen interest. No other brand does a limousine like Porsche, but it had to do what hadn’t been done before without jeopardising its heritage or disappointing its fans.

You can read as much as you want about the new Taycan, and you can watch all those exciting drag-race videos, but experiencing it live will still overwhelm you. From the get-go, it feels and runs as a Porsche should, but quietly. It doesn’t just accelerate; it’s instantly fast. Violent, thrilling and exhilarating. To the sound symphony of the USS Enterprise, slamming both driver and passenger into its lush leather seats, it rearranges your organs – all of them, by the feel of it.